Drivers can receive directions in their vehicles at no additional cost

Ford is
scheduled to release a "Send
to SYNC" service that includes Google
Maps later this month which allows drivers to choose a
destination on Google Maps and send it to the SYNC on their Ford,
Mercury or Lincoln vehicles for free.

"Send
to SYNC" is a new addition to the Ford
Service Delivery Network, which is the automaker's "cloud-based
architecture," that provides a menu of voice-activated services
attainable through a user's mobile phone, and will be available
to existing 2010-11 Ford vehicles that already have SYNC with
Traffic, Directions & Information (TDI).

On
the Google Maps website, users will have the choice to send
their desired location to SYNC by navigating to the "Send"
menu on the site. Then, when a user connects to SYNC TDI in their
vehicle, they confirm the request to download the selected Google
Maps location and it is stored under the "services" voice
command. The latest traffic information is downloaded and
applied to the chosen Google Maps directions sent to the vehicle.

"Printing
paper directions from a website is a relic in our digital age,"
said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Services Solutions
Organization. "With 'Send to SYNC,' you can map a destination at
home, at work - wherever you have connectivity - and when you get to
your car, it already knows where you want to go.

"It's
convenient and it eliminates the waste and distraction of paper maps,
conserving resources while helping drivers keep their eyes on the
road."

Cloud-based
services offered
by the SYNC TDI include news, stocks, movie listings,
horoscopes, and the forthcoming "Send to SYNC" service. No
vehicle software updates are ever required and no additional hardware
is required either, hence, there are no extra costs involved.

In
addition to Ford SYNC's partnership with Google, the auto company
will also have a similar feature for Mapquest as
well later this year.